Billfold



Jan. 9, 1940.

A l.. A. MUELLER BILLFOLD Filed Jan. 22, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 a f l l VLM L. A. MUELLER Jan. 9, 1940.

BILLFOLD Filed Jan. 22, 193e 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 2 u r|\\/ 4., .b F

I l #.Jn .5 1| 2 7 O d 7 J1." o m 2 ni l ,.7. 7 m m l r\ r/ l f\., w l I I l l'/ l I 2 l U l l H 8k ..H. Y J 4 L Q 5 H .6 .l l o H A lll Gttorneg Jan. 9, 1940. L. A. MUELLER BILLFOLD Filed Jan. 22, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILI Snoemor Patented Jan. 9, 1940 PATENT OFFICE BILLFOLD Louis A. Mueller, springend, ohio, assigner to The Springfield Leather Products Company, Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of O-hio Application January 22, 1938, Serial No. 186,346

2 Claims.

This invention relates to billfolds, particularly to, that class of billfolds which have-at least two inner spaced-apart pockets with a panel or slip connection bridging the space between the pockets.

In billfolds of this character it is usual to provide a eXible panel or slip connection to bridge the space'between the inner pockets, the ends of which are inserted in the pockets and at least one end of which is slidably connected in the pocket'in which it is inserted to permit the parts to slide or slip relatively to each other when the billfold is folded.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for connecting at least one end of a slip connection in the pocket in which it is inserted which will be simple in construction and effective in operation.

A further and more specific object is to provide an attachment between the slip connection and one of the walls of a pocket in which it is inserted which will be of a character to prevent the parts from becoming disconnected and at the same time provide for the necessary slippage.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig, 1 is an elevation of the inner side of a billfold embodying the improvements partly broken away to better illustrate some of the details.

Fig. 2 is a View of part of a billfold before the parts have been folded together to illustrate the manner of assembly.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view of the blank from which the billfcld is formed with the upper edges of two of the walls of one of the pockets shown stitched together and the slip connection shown connected to one of said walls.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts in partly folded position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the billfold in partly folded position.

, Fig. 7 is a View of a portion of the billfold v showing a modification with` some of the parts broken away.

Fig. 8 is a. section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view of a portion of a billfold with some of the parts broken away showing a further modification.

Fig. 10 is a section on the line lll-l0 of Fig. 9.

Referring rst to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawings, I represents a flexible outer wall, the upper edge of which preferably has a small flap I which is folded over and attached to the wall proper to give a good finish. Referring first to (Cl. 15G-38) that end of the billfold having the pocket in which the slip connection is slidably mounted, 2 represents one of the flexible inner wall members forming a pocket, which wall 2 is integrally attached to the end of the outer wall l. A second flexible inner wall member 3 is adapted to be secured to the wall member 2 by means of a ilap 4 on the upper edge of the wall member 2 which is stitched to the upper edge of the wall member 3 by a line of stitching 5. These two inner wall members 2 and 3 are also stitched in the final assembly of the device along their lower edges by a line of stitching 6.

The flexible panel or slip connection which bridges the space between the two opposite inner pockets is indicated at l', one end of which is inserted in the pocket formed by the two inner wall members 2 and 3. In order to secure the end of the slip connection in this pocket in a way which will permit it to slide but at the same time hold it securely in position, the wall member 3 in the present instance is slit vertically with two parallel slits to form a tongue 8, the free end of which terminates at the upper edge of the wall, and the slip connection in the prescnt instance is slit longitudinally by two parallel slits to provide an elongated loop 9. In assembling the structure, the tongue 8 of the wall 3 is inserted through the loop 9 of the slip connection before the walls 2 and 3 are secured together along their upper edges. The upper edge of the wall 3 is then laid upon the ap 4 and stitched thereto by the row of stitching 5 before referred to, the upper edge of the slip connection being bent back so that the stitches will not pass through the slip Connection, the edge of the slip connection being shown partly bent back in Figs. 2 and 4, it being understood, however, that it will be bent back far enough so that the stitching 5 can be made without pass- 1 ing through the slip connection. The stitches 5, however, do pass through the tongue 8 so as to form in effect two interlocking loops between the wall 3 and the Slip connection which will effectively prevent the slip connection and the Wall 3 from becoming detached, but due to the fact that the longitudinal slits in the slip connection are of considerably greater length than the Width of the tongue 8 to provide an elongated loop, the tongue 8 may readily slide back and forth along the loop 9 so as to provide for the necessary slippage of the connection l when the billfold is folded. After the ap 4 has been stitched to the upper edge of the wall 3 including the tongue 8, the wall 3 and slip connection vslip connection by a row of stitching 28.

are folded upon the Wall 2 as shown in Fig. 5 and the two walls 2 and 3 stitched together along their lower edges by the stitching 6 before referred to. It will be understood that when the stitching 5 is made the Wall 3 and slip connection will be in the position shown in Fig. 4 so that the edge of the slip connection may be readily bent back to permit the stitching to be made, after which the wall 3 and slip connection are folded over upon the wall 2. The pocket thus formed by the walls 2 and 3 together with the slip connection which has now been slidably secured in the pocket is then folded `upon the outer wall I as shown in Fig. 1.

The slip connection is then inserted beneath an inner wall I0, one edge of which is integrally fastened to the outer Wall I and the upper edge of which has a flap I I which in the present case is stitched to thefpanel 1 by stitches II' so as to rmly secure that end of the panel in position. Any other means of securing the panel in the pocket at the right-hand end of the bill-fold, however, may be employed Without departing from the spirit of this invention.

After the walls 2 and 3 and the slip connection have been folded over upon the outer wall I in the manner shown in Fig. 1, they are secured to the outer wall by a ap I2 integrally secured to the lower edge of the outer wall and having a reduced portion I2 which is slipped through longitudinal slits I3 in the wall 2, these slits forming a loop I4. This flap I2 is slit to form a small tongue I5 which after the part I2 has been inserted through the loop I4, is inserted through a slit I6 in the loop I4 to secure the parts I2 in position. The flap I2, its extension I2', and the tongue I5 are all attached by gluing or otherwise to the wall loop I4.

The other end of the billfold also has a ilap I1 which is inserted through slits I8 in the wall I 0 and is provided with slits to form a small tongue I9 which is inserted through a slit 20 to hold the parts in position.

By this construction it will be seen that the slip connection 1 and the wall member 3 are rmly secured against displacement with relation to each other excepting that a sliding movement is allowed between the same, the fact that the tongue is stitched to the flap 4 of the wall 2 forming an interlocking connection eliminating any chance of the tongue of the wall and the loop of the slip connection from becoming disconnected.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown a modification in the form of the slidable connection between the panel or slip connection and the wall of the pocket in which it is inserted, the pocket wall being also changed somewhat from that shown in the preceding figures. In these modified views, 2I represents a portion of the outer wall and 22 the panel or slip connection. The inner wall member with which the panel is slidably connected is indicated at 23, this inner wall member being in the present case in the nature of a comparatively short wall as to height which is not stitched at the bottom as in the'preceding construction. This inner wall member 23 is provided with two parallel vertical slits 24 to form a loop 25 and the slip connection or panel 22 is provided with longitudinal slits 26 to form a tongue 21 which is slipped through the loop of the wall. The tongue 2l after it has been inserted through the loop of the wall is stitched to the panel or The principal difference in construction between this modified view and the billfold described in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, is that the loop is formed on the pocket wall and the tongue on the slip connection or panel; also, that which has been termed the pocket wall 23 is a comparatively short Wall as to height instead of a wall which extends to the bottom of the billfold and is stitched to the outer wall as in the previous construction.

In Figs. 9 and 10 there is shown a further modification, this arrangement being more particularly to show that the inner wall, indicated at 29, is a comparatively short wall such as the one shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In this arrangement, however, the tongue and loop connection between the inner wall and the panel or slip connection indicated at 30 is the same as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive; that is, the tongue, indicated at 3| is formed on the wall 29 and the loop indicated at 32 is formed in the slip connection, the tongue and loop being formed by arranging the respective parts as described in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6. A portion of the outer wall is indicated at 33. In this case the inner wall member 29 is stitched by the row of stitching 34 to its companion wall member 35, such as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a receptacle suchas a billfold, an outer iiexible wall, an inner flexible wall member cooperating with said outer wall to provide a compartment extending longitudinally of the billfold and opening along the upper longitudinal edge thereof, an inner pocket wall member, an extension on the upper edge oi' said pocket wall member, said pocket wall member lying on one side of said inner wall member and said extension on the opposite side thereof when the receptacle is in `assembled position, said extension and inner wall member having interengaging parts consisting of an elongated loop on one of said members formed by parallel spaced slits and a tongue on the other member formed by parallel spaced slits arranged at right-angles to the other slits and adapted to be received in said loop 'to slidably connect said `parts together, and means to secure the free end of said tongue to the wall member on which it is formed to form in eiiect two interlocking loops between said extension and inner wall member.

2. In a receptacle such as a billfold, an outer iiexible wall, an inner iiexible wall member cooperating with said outer wall to provide a compartment extending longitudinally of the billfold and opening along the upper longitudinal edge thereof, an inner pocket wall member, an extension on the upper edge of said pocket wall member, said pocket wall member lying on one side of said inner wall member and said extension on the opposite side thereof when the receptacle is in assembled position, said extension and inner wall member having interengaging parts consistingof an elongated loop formed on said inner wall member by parallel spaced slits and a tongue formed on said extension by parallel spaced slits projecting at right angles to the slits of said inner wall member, said tongue being inserted through s'aid loop to slidably connect said members together, and means to secure the free end of said tongue toits associated Wall member to form in effect two interengaging loops between said panel and inner member.

LOUIS A. MUELLER. 

